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Westlake Children’s Play Area Now Open!

The Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) took a big step forward in its mission to increase family friendly amenities on Friday, March 1 with the opening of the Westlake Children’s Play Area. Roughly 100 children helped the DSA, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the City of Seattle’s Parks & Recreation celebrate the grand opening, with the Spruce Street School marimba band providing a wonderful soundtrack.

DSA President & CEO Kate Joncas opened the festivities by addressing the crowd and media members to explain the need for such a space Downtown.

“Attracting and retaining families is a top priority for keeping Downtown a diverse, vibrant and healthy neighborhood,” said Joncas. “The number of children living Downtown has increased steadily over the past 20 years, and play spaces contribute to healthier kids and families.”

Seattle Children’s Reasearch Institute President James Hendricks, PhD, expounded upon the connection between play spaces and the lowering of childhood obesity.

“More than 30 percent of American children and teens are obese or overweight,” said Hendricks. “Children need spaces like this play area so that they can be physically active, and research also shows that outdoor play time helps improve Vitamin D levels and mental health.”

This project would not have been possible without the partnership of the organizations mentioned above and the Metropolitan Improvement District, Mithun, and Lease Crutcher Lewis.

A heartfelt thank you as well to a group of tremendous community supporters: